Ohio State, University of Michigan join forces with EWI to open research...

Ohio State, University of Michigan join forces with EWI to open research institute near Detroit

February 25, 2014

The Ohio State University and EWI, both of Columbus, Ohio, are teaming up with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., to run a $148 million, high-tech manufacturing research institute near Detroit.

The American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Canton, Mich., scheduled to open in spring 2014, will receive help from more than 50 companies, schools, and nonprofits.

The consortium claims the project will create 10,000 jobs during the next five years in the metal stamping, metalworking, machining, and casting industries.

The institute is charged with making and commercializing lighter-weight, higher-performing metal and alloys to use in commercial and military vehicles. It says its R&D will “encompass the entire transportation supply chain,” and contract upwards of $100 million in projects with partner groups.

The project is part of the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation program, announced in 2013, that seeks to make domestic manufacturers more competitive internationally. Each institute will serve as a regional hub to bridge the gap between applied research and product development, helping companies, schools, nonprofits, and federal agencies work together.